Well-digging machine



(NoModeL) J. G. & S. CHAMBERS.

WELL DIGGING MACHINE.

No. 271,600. Patented Feb. 6,1888;

ATTORNEYS.

in advance of the others.

Uiviren grates ATENT @rrrcn.

JOB G. CHAMBERS AND SILAS CHAMBERS, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

\NELL-DIGGING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATEON forming part of Letters Patent No. 271,600, dated February6,

Application filed May 22, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, Jon 0. CHAMBERS andSlLAs CHAMBERS, of Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas,have invented a new and Improved ell-Digging Machine; and we do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming partof this specification, in Whic11 Figure l is a side view of the device,shown in process of digging a well. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same,with the boring-shaft in section through the line m0,- and Fig.3 showsside and frontviews of a modified form of plow or cutter for use incutting rock, 8m.

Our invention relates to an improved construction of machinefor diggingwells, cisterns, and other circular holes in the ground. It is animprovement upon that form of well-digger in which a vertical shaft isprovided at its lowerend with a spirally-flanged point or worm to drawit into theearth, and upon each side has detachable scoops, which arefilled by the act of turning, and when fiiied are raised to the surfaceby block and tackle and dumped. Our improvement consists in connectingto the bottom ofsaid shaft agang of plows, which effectually break andcut up the earth, and combining therewith a fixed and inclinedshearblade and detachable earth-receiver, the said shear-blade beinglocated .in the rear of the plows, for raising the earth from the motionof the plow, and delivering it automatically into the detachableearth-receiver,lwhich is raised to the surface with its load by means ofropes and pulleys, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings,A represents a frame-work having at the top a cross-bar,B, forming an upper guide for the vertical boring or centering shaft 0,whichlatter is provided at its lower end with aspirally-tlanged point orworm, a, that enters the ground and serves to draw the shaft down intothe ground when rotated. To the lower portion of the shaft, near theWOIHI a, are rigidly fastened the horizontallyprojecting arms 1) E F Tothe arms D and E are securely fastened a series of plows, H, the innerplow next to the shaft being slightly The arms F and G are arrangedimmediately in rear of the plows,

the cage or holder, on a level with the top rear edge of the blade orarm F. Detachably fixed upon the shaft 0 is a projecting arm, K, whichserves as a support for hoisting the dirt-tray out of the well when itbecomes filled with dirt. To the tray is fastened asling, b, to which isattached a rope, c, that passes through a pulley or sheave block, whichis attached to the arm, by pulling upon which rope the tray may beraised; To prevent the tray from turning round and twisting therope'while raising or lowering it, two guide-ropes, d d, are fastened tothe arm K, and extend to the tray-cage below on each side of the tray,and the tray is guided upon these ropes by means of cleats or guides ec.

In making use of the machine as thus dcscribed,.the worm of the shaft isplacedupon the ground, and the shaft, then being guided by the uppercross-bar, is rotated by means of the adjustable sweep L, which, as fastas the shaft descends, is from time to time adjusted higher up on theshaft. As the worm enters the ground to hold the shaftin centralposition the plows describe concentric circles about the worm,thoroughly breaking and cutting up the earth, and the blade F scoopsthis earth into the tray, which, as often as it is filled,is raised bymeans of its hoisting-tackle and dumped outside of the well. As theplows gradually descend into the well the supporting-arm K for raisingthe tray is from time to time adjusted higher-on the shaft, just as isthe sweep L. If hard strata of earth or rock are reached, the mold-boardplows are removed and another form of plow (shown in Fig. 3) issubstituted,- which has a sharp narrow drill-edge. These plows then cutconcentric grooves in the rock or hard earth, and when the grooves areof sufficient depth the vertical concentric rings or walls of rock whichare left are broken down and removed.

In defining our invention more clearly we would state that We are awareof the Patents No. 202,417 and No. 4,531, and do not claim anythingshown therein.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new is- 1. Thecombination, with a vertical boring or centering shaft, of avset ofplows rigidly fixed to the lower end of said shaft, a fixed and 1inclined shear-blade located in the rear of said plows, and a detachabletray located in rear of the said shear-blade, as and for the purposedescribed.

2. Thecombination, with the shaft 0, of a set of plows fixed rigidly tothe lower end, the 15 inclined blade F and arm G, the cage I, supportedby the latter, and the vertically-movable tray J, as and for the purposedescribed.

3. The combination of the shaftO with worln a and sweep L, the rigidarms D E F G, the 20

